(iKNKHAL GF,OI,()GY OF TIIK AREA. 17 



and one near the top and just below the iron measures of the 

 Raniganj group. 



The largest and best seams are in the vicinity of the Morne river, 

 where we find a series of coal seams, ranging from a few inches to 1 

 foot, and a fine seam of a little more than 7 feet, which remains pretty- 

 constant ; towards the west this seam thins out considerably, and in the 

 Suknai nullah the same bed decreases rapidly to. 3 feet 6 inches. In 

 the nullah east of Budatand, falling into the Morne river, there is a 

 band of coal with shaly partings of 17 feet, probably representing the 7 

 feet seam of the Morne river sections. 



In the Barakars of the northern part of my area, the character of 

 the rocks composing the group does not change, and we still meet with 

 micaceous shaly sandstones and shales, containing coal, but of inferior 

 quality, and having thinned out considerably ; but as the Barakar beds 

 are only brought up by faulting, it is possible that the coal-seams are 

 only some of the top ones, also seen in other sections, and that the better 

 seams, which are elsewhere constant, are hidden beneath. 



Towards the extreme western tracts of the coal-field near the Banki 

 nullah (tributary of the Morne river), the Barakars are faulted against 

 the Mahadeva sandstone, and consist of hard, gritty sandstones, with 

 numerous pot-holes. 



The entire thickness of the Barakars, as calculated from the Tata- 



pani sections, is probably not more than 900 

 Thickness. 



feet. 



Raniganj. 

 Roughly defining it, the Barakar group is characterised, as already 

 stated, by fine-grained sandstones, dark micaceous and carboniferous 

 shales, and coal-seams with decidedly a Barakar flora. 



Though it is difficult, in some sections even almost impossible, to lay 



Lithological charac- ^ne's hand on the exact point of junction of Bara- 



ter of Eaniganj. -^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ overlying group, yet it is not 



difficult to define in general the character of this lattei-, which is most 



B ( H5 ) 



